BREAST CANCER . . . NEW TEST MIGHT LIMIT BIOPSIES

A radioactive "tracer" can be injected into women who have breast cancer to make malignancies "light up," possibly halving the number of biopsies needed in the United States, researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles disclosed today at a meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. The researchers say the technique -- called scintimammography -- was 90 percent accurate in identifying breast cancer in women whose mammograms raised suspicions. If it's proven effective, they say, it could save millions of dollars in medical costs and drastically cut down the 700,000 biopsies performed each year. (The new technique costs $600, while a biopsy costs $1,500 to $3,000.)Post your opinion on theHealth & Medecinebulletin board.